Apt wants to upgrade the same kernel I have

foodhater · 03-14-2006, 06:34 PM

I went to do an "apt-get upgrade" in order to get the security updates but it said it wanted to install the very kernel that I already have.

Here's what I did:

prison:/home/foodhater# apt-get update
Get:1 http://security.debian.org stable/updates/main Packages [197kB]
Get:2 http://security.debian.org stable/updates/main Release [110B]
Hit http://security.debian.org stable/updates/contrib Packages
Get:3 http://security.debian.org stable/updates/contrib Release [113B]
Get:4 ftp://ftp.nerim.net sarge/main Packages [21.5kB]
Hit ftp://ftp.us.debian.org stable/main Packages
Hit ftp://ftp.us.debian.org stable/main Release
Hit ftp://ftp.us.debian.org stable/contrib Packages
Hit ftp://ftp.us.debian.org stable/contrib Release
Hit ftp://ftp.us.debian.org stable/non-free Packages
Hit ftp://ftp.us.debian.org stable/non-free Release
Hit ftp://ftp.nerim.net sarge/main Release
Fetched 218kB in 3s (70.6kB/s)
Reading Package Lists... Done

prison:/home/foodhater# apt-get upgrade
Reading Package Lists... Done
Building Dependency Tree... Done
The following packages will be upgraded:
fam gnome-system-monitor gnupg kernel-image-2.4.27-2-686 libcurl3
libfam0c102 libgnomeprint2.2-0 libgnomeprint2.2-data libgnutls11
libsmbclient libtasn1-2 tar vim vim-common vim-gtk
15 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 21.6MB of archives.
After unpacking 1420kB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] n
Abort.

....And then when I do a uname -r it indicates that I already have that kernel installed.

prison:/home/foodhater# uname -r
2.4.27-2-686

Why is it doing this? How do I get it to give me the proper updates? Any help. Thanks.

Here is a copy of my sources.list:

#deb file:///cdrom/ sarge main

#deb cdrom:[Debian GNU/Linux 3.1 r0a _Sarge_ - Official i386 Binary-1 (20050607)]/ unstable contrib main

deb http://security.debian.org/ stable/updates main contrib

#*********************************

deb ftp://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ stable main contrib non-free

#deb-src ftp://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ stable main contrib non-free

#deb http://security.debian.org/ stable/updates main

deb ftp://ftp.nerim.net/debian-marillat/ sarge main

#deb http://ftp.debian-unofficial.org/debian/ sarge main contrib non-free restricted

#deb-src http://ftp.debian-unofficial.org/debian/ sarge main contrib non-free restricted

#KPlayer Repository
#deb http://kplayer.sourceforge.net/ ./

#deb ftp://ftp.tux.org/java/debian/ testing non-free

#deb ftp://ftp.debian.org/debian/ unstable main non-free contrib

rickh · 03-14-2006, 08:06 PM

So let it. APT knows what it's doing. When it's done, you'll have to reboot.

foodhater · 03-14-2006, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rickh

So let it. APT knows what it's doing. When it's done, you'll have to reboot.

I tried that already. It broke my system and had to re-install. I just want the security updates.

dracae · 03-14-2006, 09:11 PM

What is the output of
apt-cache policy kernel-image-2.4.27-2-686

foodhater · 03-14-2006, 09:22 PM

prison:/home/foodhater# apt-cache policy kernel-image-2.4.27-2-686
kernel-image-2.4.27-2-686:
Installed: 2.4.27-10
Candidate: 2.4.27-10sarge1
Version Table:
2.4.27-10sarge1 0
500 http://security.debian.org stable/updates/main Packages
500 ftp://ftp.us.debian.org stable/main Packages
*** 2.4.27-10 0
100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

dracae · 03-14-2006, 09:36 PM

So it is not trying to install the same version
Installed: 2.4.27-10
Candidate: 2.4.27-10sarge1

jproveaux · 03-14-2006, 10:38 PM

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but you can withhold packages from being updated in apt by editing your apt.conf and making sure that this exists:

Code:

HoldPkgs {"kernel$"; "kernel-source"; "kernel-headers"; };

or something close to that. My network is flaking out, otherwise I would search to verify.

nx5000 · 03-15-2006, 03:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by foodhater

I tried that already. It broke my system and had to re-install. I just want the security updates.

Sarge1 contains kernel security update. If you want security updates you need to do it. It's suprising that you cannot boot with sarge1 because as debian stable philosophy, they only correct critical bugs or security problems. So it should be very close to the previous one.
DO you remember what was the problem?

I'm even suprised that it doesn't have sarge2 as candidate, because sarge3 should arrive soon.
Maybe due to ABI?

http://wiki.debian.org/DebianKernelSargeUpdateStatus

IMHO you should update the kernel. Keep the old one in case.
Also have a look at the bug reports, maybe yours is listed, or you found a new one!

nx5000 · 03-15-2006, 03:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jproveaux

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but you can withhold packages from being updated in apt by editing your apt.conf and making sure that this exists:

Code:

HoldPkgs {"kernel$"; "kernel-source"; "kernel-headers"; };

or something close to that. My network is flaking out, otherwise I would search to verify.

I have no such thing in my apt.conf manpage.
You can also do this by:
-> dpkg --set-selections : echo <package> hold | dpkg --set-selections
-> dselect and press H (not sure for the key I have no dselect on my current box) on the package
-> apt-pinning in /etc/apt/preferences

jproveaux · 03-15-2006, 07:15 AM

Ah...yes. I got to work and tested on RH...then shelled into my Debian. My apologies.

foodhater · 03-17-2006, 09:04 PM

I'm not sure what I am going to do here. I really want the security updates but I definitely don't want to upgrade my kernel because last time I did that it broke my system. I've got everything working just the way I want it and I don't want to do another re-install. At the same time I'm worried that if I don't get the security updates my Debian box will become a worm replicator, riddled with rootkits and start acting as a spam mail drone for teen porn sites.

lpd · 03-18-2006, 05:24 AM

Do it the hardcore unix way then... Make backup copies of the old kernel, initrd image (new 2.4 kernels use that too, right?) and the lib/modules/2.4.27-2-686 directory. I assume you've got a boot-floppy or some other way to start up linux in case it gets broken?

In any case you should do backups of the initrd.img-2.4.27-2-686 so that you can make sure that the new initrd.img-2.4.27-2-686 gets built properly before rebooting. IMO you should perhaps have a second kernel installed just as a backup alternative. Even if the backup kernel are out-of-date and riddled with security holes it would allow you to start up the system for problem solving.

divukman · 03-18-2006, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by foodhater

I'm not sure what I am going to do here. I really want the security updates but I definitely don't want to upgrade my kernel because last time I did that it broke my system. I've got everything working just the way I want it and I don't want to do another re-install.

Could you not mount with live cd, mount partitions, chroot into your system and install some other kernel ?

foodhater · 03-18-2006, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by divukman

Could you not mount with live cd, mount partitions, chroot into your system and install some other kernel ?

Your suggestion is probably a fairly basic operation but being somewhat of a noob I'm not sure I could pull it off, especially the part about installing another kernel. What I'm thinking about doing is just letting apt install the kernel. After that I'll reboot and if I have problems I'll try to get some help over here. I don't have any signficant data on this box so a re-install isn't too painful an undertaking.

divukman · 03-18-2006, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by foodhater

What I'm thinking about doing is just letting apt install the kernel. After that I'll reboot and if I have problems I'll try to get some help over here. I don't have any signficant data on this box so a re-install isn't too painful an undertaking.

Well, I suggest you take a look at
http://www.debian.org/releases/stabl...h08s05.html.en
sooner or later. Installing one backup kernel would be a good idea.